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You’re in a style rut when your rotation of outfits begins to feel stale and you’re just not liking them the way you used to. You’re bored with your style, and this is precisely when you need to be the most proactive about trying something new.

Clients often ask for my help in the first place because they’re in a rut with their style. Creating a style that makes you consistently look and feel fabulous is all about accurately identifying your needs and acting on them, so we begin by exploring the following questions:

What do you want to express through your style?

What do you NOT aspire to in your style?

How does your ideal style differ from your current style?

Which are your current favourite wardrobe items, and why do you like wearing them?

Which outfits have you felt best in lately, and why did they make you feel fab?

Once you’ve reflected on these questions — and feel free to bounce ideas off friends and family members if you think that will help — begin looking at your style in more detail in order to pinpoint where you need the change. It might be one or several aspects of your style that need attention.

The extent of the change you need will depend on how much of a rut you’re in. On one end of the continuum, the rut feels intense and overwhelming, and in this case you might find a seven step style renewal to be beneficial. If you’re on the less intense end of the continuum, you’ll find that smaller and faster changes can do the trick. Here are some of my favourites.

Evaluate Your Hair

Your hair is an important part of your style. For some, it IS their style. Cut it into another shape, add some colour, grow it into another style, activate the curl, straighten the wave, leave it down, tie it up, go lighter, go darker, go shorter, or go grey.

Refresh Your Accessories & Footwear

Add accessories to your outfits if you previously went without. Wear the jewellery that’s packed away in a box. Add a belt, brooch, tie, hat, textured hosiery or scarf to an outfit. Try a new style or colour of handbag. Swap out your handbags more frequently. Have fun with nail art. Have fun with quirky costume jewellery. Get a new pair of specs.

Evaluate your footwear and make sure that it’s sufficiently current for your style. It’s amazing how a few pairs of trendy shoes can breathe life into old outfits.

Revisit the Colour Palette of Your Wardrobe

If you’re a neutral gal, try wearing NEW-to-you neutrals. Add some colour, even if it’s in a subtle way, like through an accessory. Or don’t be subtle at all. Break out of your comfort zone and add new colours to your wardrobe, but be sure to purchase them with a support act so that you can easily create outfits.

If you’re a non-neutral gal, experiment with neutrals. Wear neutral outfits and monochromatic combinations. Combine tonal neutrals instead of high-contrast ones. Wear four to five different neutrals in one outfit. Or wear one neutral from head to toe.

Try New-to-You Trends on the Cheap

This is an effective way to change up your look without breaking the bank. Choose new-to-you trends that tickle your fancy and purchase them at relatively inexpensive prices. Target the items that you would have previously ignored if you were feeling energized by your current wardrobe. You’ll be amazed at how integrating a few well-chosen trendier pieces can change up the landscape of your wardrobe.

Create Dramatic Outfit Juxtapositions

Take the time to play dress up at home by combining your wardrobe items in different ways. Ask a style-savvy friend to help out if the process seems daunting. Put on some music, have snacks on hand, and let the creative juices flow. Create clashing colour combinations, new tonal combinations, and outfits that are just flattering enough. Put together outfits with new proportions and with unexpected footwear choices. And don’t forget to accessorize.

Think Beyond Jeans

It’s easy to fall back on wearing jeans for every occasion because we live in a casual world. But there is life after jeans. Think trousers, skirts, dresses, jumpsuits and casual pants if you’re bored of wearing jeans. Or at least think beyond blue jeans by wearing them in black, grey, white or another colour.

Dress Up!

This is one of the most effective ways of breaking out of a style rut, but it’s hard to do when your lifestyle is casual. It does feel good to get out of jeans and a T-shirt for at least some of the time. Amp up the dressiness of your daily outfits, which might mean wearing the items in your wardrobe that you save for special occasions. Neutralize the dressy pieces by wearing them with denim. Wear the dressier skirts and frocks that are begging for some action because why not! Start stepping up your game by being the dressiest person in the room. Defying your environmental norm can be the best way to break out of a style rut.

I’ve had my fair share of style ruts, and I’m going to have many more. Sometimes I can break out of my rut with a few quick fixes, and sometimes I need to look deeper into my head and heart in order to pinpoint precisely why I’m bored with my style. Either way, the reflection pays off.

Perfect timing as always, Angie! I am in a bit of a style rut, partly because of being so busy at work and partly because of the extended warm weather we’re having, that I’m just relying on my fall-back formula of skirt & shirt or a dress for work. Just this past weekend I decided to refresh my accessories and I purchased a few pieces of statement jewelry. Adding a quick bit of pizzaz and trying something new (I haven’t been much of a jewelry wearer the past several years) helps tremendously!

New chapter delivered!:-)
Did them almost all, curently amping up my single and boring winter pants silhouette with new shiny leather flat chelsea boots and wow, they really do a great job for my mood and confidence!:-)

Oooh, I love this Angie! I think I’ve been doing a couple of the suggestions on your list lately. I’ve been having a little splurge on things…well, it is Christmas
This is another fabulous post to be bookmarked and referred to often Thanks!

Your first point about evaluating your hair to get out of a style rut resonates with me. And through it, you’ve explained why I change up my hair waaaaaaay more often than the average woman! I have a low tolerance for boredom and a high tolerance for hairstyle change. I don’t let myself get attached to my hair on an emotional level and try to stay objective! Now, after two years of a super cropped pixie, I’m growing it out again, aiming for chin length. The factor that enables me to make all these changes is that my current stylist is incredible, with great style and taste, and is someone I trust 100%. She knows me, she knows my hair (or lack thereof) and doesn’t mince words. I always take her counsel!

Life after jeans–an elusive thought! In the past few weeks, I’ve tried breaking out of my rut by wearing skirts or my only pair of trousers, but I still end up leaving the house in blue jeans. Part of the reason is that I’m pretty constrained in my footwear choices, and jeans tend to look best with my casual ortho-sneaker footwear.

I’ve recently used bold lipstick to up my ante. A quick pop of colour looks polished and brightens my mood during the season, and makes my otherwise casual look seem a bit dressier.

I agree 100%! I do several of these things (including – try tons of different outfits at home and dress up to be dressier than others in my friend circle). This is an excellent article….I will be re-reading it again.

I have realized that for myself the quickest way out of a rut is a couple of trendy pieces each season, often including footwear. I will wear my new things to death if I like them so it’s money well spent. And they always work with the classic backbone. Guess where I learned that bit of wisdom?

Like gradfashionista, I find it difficult to flip out of the jeans rut, possibly because of a similarly casual lifestyle. Oddly, I tend to be dressier on my “days off” and look forward to pulling out the trousers and skirts.

Love the dressing up suggestion. After realizing how much of my wardrobe was being “saved,” I started wearing those pieces in my everyday life. Doubles my wardrobe =) and makes me feel fab. Not talking about sequins to the grocery store XD, but office attire works for shopping as well as jeans do.

Great tips. Like gradfashionista, my footwear choices are limited, so it’s difficult to wear dress pants and skirts, especially since my lifestyle is rather casual. I do like to dress up, though, so I try my best to work around the footwear as best I can. Like Suz, I find the best way to keep from feeling like I’m in a rut is to add trendy pieces once in a while.

So much wisdom in one post! I’m not able to buy as many clothes as in the past few years, but I’ve gotten a huge style boost by changing out my round-toe pumps for pointy toes! And I’ve been letting my hair grow a little longer this season, which is a fun change. And I am always and forever a proud member of Team Dressy!

This is a chapter I will probably refer to time and time again as this is what happens to me frequently with my dominantly casual life. I got so tired of the blue jean routine and have found that adding colored denim and Ponte knit to my wardrobe has made such a big difference…haven’t even worn blue jeans, in ages. I was so into tall boots a few years back and didn’t wear them much at all last year and opted for booties instead. But this year I’m back in with tall boots after adding a new dressier pair.

Thanks for a concise listing here so that its easy to evaluate what sort of change is in order.

Great article. I’ve been focusing on #2 Refresh your accessories and footwear. After a summer spent in sandals, I’m looking at boots and loafers for winter. I also want to add some necklaces that are longer and more casual than I have in my jewelry box. I’ve also done #5 Try New- to -You Trends on the Cheap. I bought t-shirts on sale in lots of colors (I can always use them for summer hiking trips if they don’t work out) to see what looked best on me with the clothes I have. I found out that I liked the dark neutrals (black, navy, charcoal) and the pale colors (blush, pale blue, white) with the clothes I have now. I’m thinking that #4 will be my next project as I really need to add some mid neutrals to bridge the gap between my light and dark neutrals. Thanks for the checklist of wardrobe change strategies, it’s very helpful to see them in this format.

Fabulous advice!
I find that having variable weather and seasons helps keep me from getting in a style rut. I have also stopped what I used to do a lot of…duplicating in different colors. The exception is footwear. I am currently eagerly waiting for UPS bring my third pair of SE Petty booties…this time in bone suede.
My hair is a bit of a rut but I’m not ready to change the style or color the grey, which would be more work and expense. Ultimately, if I live long enough, I plan to go back to longer hair worn up in a loose bun or French roll…maybe in my later 70’s. This was the easiest style of all. Or go very short and spiky if the hair gets too thin.
I cycle between maximal and minimal with accessories. Adding a new color or neutral is extra fun and renewing for me. Thinking beyond jeans is difficult because finding trousers that don’t give a baggy butt is hard work. I’m beginning to embrace the bag, maybe not a good idea.
Dressing up works well for me. We try to dress up at least once a week for some event.

JAileen’s post reminded me that I want to try the poncho trend on the cheap. I don’t want an open one and the right one has yet to come along. Today I am trying the cocoon cardigan on the cheap. Cardigans in general are new to me because I prefer the structure of a jacket.

Great advice, something to always keep in mind. I have had to put myself on a pencil skirt diet:). I love them and am on team dressy, but I sometimes want to play on team casual and even with flat boots, that’s a bit difficult to do with a pencil skirt.

I like all of these ideas, but I started trying most of them over a year ago, in large part because of the inspiration here! Thinking beyond jeans was a major step, which has led me to pencil skirts and sweater dresses as well as trousers. Dressing up more often comes naturally when I have outfits I’d like to wear. And I got heavily into scarves a year and a half ago, when I decided I wanted to fit in strolling around the streets of Warsaw in the summer–and I haven’t looked back. So I broke myself solidly out of my previous style rut, and I’m still enjoying the aftermath. But this did prompt me to make an appointment for hair coloring. (And actually I’d already planned to ask for a cherry-red lipstick in my Christmas stocking.)

Post YLF I am much less likely to be in a style rut. All the great ideas here swirl around and a few stick. Then some time passes and what I thought was “essentially”me moves around or boredom sets in. Try some updates and that takes the edge off. What makes any of it work is finally having a clue as to what the core foundation of my wardrobe needs to be in order to support the updates. I value those more than ever.

I want to second the comments about great timing for this post. YLF got me out of a very, very deep style rut years ago… but I haven’t kept up the momentum. As someone who just doesn’t shop enough, I know I need to address this ASAP! Thank you, Angie!

sorry Angie, late to the party but just wanted to tell you what a fabulous post I thought this was. I definitely find a great haircut is key to my style. It kind of evolves naturally over the years, morphing to a slightly different bob but it keeps it fresh. Also after years of not being able to find great specs, because I have a tiny face and wear kids sizes (which btw are often very poor quality as you know) my optician found me a pair of coach geek chic frames which I adore. You were so right, jewelry for your face at its finest. Definitely upped my look!! I have a really formal, dressy style baseline. Working outside the home gives me an opportunity to wear my really nice things all the time. So when I change into loungewear and jeans it’s a nice change of pace. But since I’m blazer girl, I always wear a great pair of boots and a fab jacket and belt with jeans. Do you find people with a dressier styles are less rut prone because they wear special pieces on a daily basis? Also I found the article that Sterling posted from www about emerson fry and minimalism had a great point. Like Mies Van Der Rohe, Fry feels “god is in the details” and subtle details catapult great design to a higher level and give more longevity and increase happiness factor. I just bought the theory ninsy ribbed funnel neck with the split back collar and it’s that perfect proportion, great fabric with interesting twist which makes something really special and a pleasure to wear!!

I’ve always been a non-shopper. I just bought what I needed and never browsed. But at the age of 47 I decided to shop (people looked like they were having fun doing it!) and try things on that were out of my comfort zone. I dress in a very classic, tailored way. Fast forward 7 years and now I’m having fun! Still classic but more modern. I read wonderful blogs like this one. I listen to sales people and try their suggestions. Sometimes it’s a “boy, this does nothing for me” but every so often, I’m surprised. I recently bought a purple print, empire-waist tunic top and paired it with black jeans and boots. Purple print? Empire waist? Tunic? Yes! Right now leggings make me look like I have “toddler legs” but who knows what will happen? Thanks to YLF and the wonderful readers here for giving me guidance and confidence!

So much wisdom and practical advice in this post, Angie! Fortunately, a style rut can usually be solved without overhauling the entire wardrobe!

Over the last few months, I added some new styles of footwear, the Vince cape/poncho, and a couple pieces of jewelry, along with new reading glasses. Mixing these things in with my hardworking basics has kept things feeling fun and fresh.

Another wonderful post Angie! I must perpetually find myself in a rut because I think I consider all of these options on a regular basis. Latest changes involve makeup, but that is only because updating my footwear and trying new trends for cheap are more part of my ongoing lifestyle. Thank you so much – these posts are so informative and always lift my mood to boot!

As always, you give such good, specific advice. I am heartened to read some tips that I have been following already–visiting the makeup counter, and using accessories and footwear to shake things up. Those are my favorite ways to create a little style spark when I need it. And your post prompted me to make a haircut appointment. Not for a change of style, but for an increasingly much-needed trim.

Thanks- you have inspired me to find a new hair stylist (mine up and quit to become a nurse) and get something done with my 4 month grow-out! The warm fall has been really frustrating, and all shorts now feel like a rut to me! I am only in the last 2 days able to wear pants, so that helps. I do feel like I need to work on my purse collection. I was disgruntledly pondering them just today, feeling unhappy with most of them, and realized that I am only using 3 in regular rotation. That tells me a style change is on the horizon. I put 2 in the donate box today! And now I have guidelines to help me figure out where to go

Such great suggestions Angie! Thank you so much! The closest that I’ve felt to being in a style rut was this fall when not much of the fall trends especially excited me – but I could not face another winter wearing the same-old-same-old (style-rut!) So, I defined a couple of the trends that I felt good combining with my current wardrobe items and kept my eyes open for specific pieces that would fit into my style. Thus – a burgandy fringed handbag, a fur clutch, a couple of skinny scarves, a pair of fringed earrings, a blouse with ruffles (yikes!) found their way into my wardrobe. I also pulled out a pair of cognac booties that I hadn’t worn for a couple of seasons and incorporated them back into my wardrobe – and ta-da! – the dreaded style-rut was avoided! I also agree with you that changing up your hairstyle will do wonders to get someone out of a style-rut – and it’s pretty much the first thing that I consider when I feel myself getting tired of my “look.” Again, thank you for the great tips!

Good read Angie. I started on my color project, thanks to your post about this from a few days ago. Based on that work, I suddenly have the urge to try some unusual color combinations a la MsMary. I hope to have time to post about it later, I have a lot on my plate at the moment.

Great advice! Changing my hair is one of the first things I do when I start feeling bored. I changed my hair recently and although it wasn’t a big change, it was enough to relieve some of my recent boredom. I need to refresh some aspects of my wardrobe but want to get through the Xmas season first. I’m more excited about shopping for other people right now.